


This Broken Land

by shadowsfan



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: All the melodrama you can imagine, Alternate Universe - Crack, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Brokeback Mountain AU, Cowboy AU, Homophobic Language, M/M, Minor Violence, Slow Burn, UST, country songs and pickup trucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-09 12:40:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5540357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowsfan/pseuds/shadowsfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Davos thought being roommates with Stannis would be for only the one week, but money was tight and one week turned into two, and then it became a permanent arrangement.  Everything would have been perfect ─ but Davos hadn’t counted on falling so hard for the brooding cowboy with the dark blue eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Davos watched as Stannis tightened the braided rope around the palm of his gloved hand.  His mouth was firmly set in his usual scowl, but Davos could tell from the way he kept flexing his hand ─ shifting his grip on the rope ─ that Stannis was worried.  This particular bull, Fuego Del Corazon, had injured several would be riders in the past month.  The beast had yet to submit to a successful eight second ride.  Stannis would be the first.

 

Davos knew there was a very good chance that Stannis would not conquer Fuego Del Corazon, no matter how fine a rider he was.  There was also a very good chance that Stannis could be hurt.  From his position near the chute, Davos watched as the bull snorted angrily, already head-butting the gate and pawing at the dirt.  Davos was familiar with the electric combination of adrenaline rush and anxiety that Stannis was feeling.  He’d been there waiting for the chute to open ─ heart racing and stomach churning.  He’d ridden many bulls in many rodeos the past two years ─ too many.  Davos had injured his back the last go around and it had taken several months to recover.  Even now he self-medicated with whiskey on damp nights when his spine ached and Tylenol did little to dull the pain.  Davos couldn’t ride anymore, but he could still be part of the show.  He could help keep the cowboys who did ride the bulls safe. 

 

Davos’ current job was that of rodeo clown ─ a real misnomer if there ever was one.  Yes, he wore brightly colored clothing and face paint, but that was to attract the bull ─ to lure the raging, bucking beast away from a fallen rider.  Although it entertained the crowd, the act was not to make people laugh.  His job was dangerous but necessary.  Davos figured if he could keep one bull rider from a broken neck or punctured lung then it was well worth the risk ─ especially if he could protect Stannis.    Because, Lord help him, he’d developed a thing for Stannis.

 

Davos felt a surge of adrenaline as he studied Stannis’ face one last time.  His eyes were cast downward, focusing intently on the animal shifting restlessly beneath him and his firm grip on the rope that was his only means of control.  With his teeth, Stannis tugged the leather glove off his free hand and bit down on it ─ a makeshift mouth guard ─ before raising his hand in the air and signaling with a curt nod that he was ready.

 

Everything that happened after that was a blur.  The chute opened as the timer sounded.  Fuego Del Corazon exploded from the gate, nostrils flaring and hind legs kicking.  Stannis’ head snapped back violently but he was able to right himself, regaining his balance for a moment even as the bull began to twist and spin in an effort to dislodge him.  Stannis dug in with his knees and spurs, trying valiantly to remain upright even as the torque generated by the bull’s rotation threatened to send him flying.  He managed to hold on for another two seconds before the animal leapt in the air one last time and landed with such force that Stannis was jarred loose, launching from his seat and over the bull’s head like a projectile.  Davos couldn’t hear a sound over the collective gasp of the crowd, but he saw Stannis land hard on his shoulder, the glove falling from his mouth as he cried out in pain ─ a ton of angry bull still kicking in the vicinity of his head.

 

Davos’ chest tightened, leaving him unable to breathe.  The events seemed to unfold before him in slow motion ─ Stannis’ body hitting the dirt, the bucking of the bull, the crowd rising to their feet.  He hesitated only a second, but it felt like an eternity before he sprang into action, yanking off his hat and waving it at the bull.  Davos ran directly into its path to get the beast’s attention and draw it away from where Stannis lay stunned.  Fortunately, Fuego Del Corazon seemed satisfied with its victory over Stannis, having lived up to its name, Fire Heart.  It kicked a final time then quieted, shaking its head and trotting off in the direction of its pen as Davos rushed over to Stannis.

 

Davos kept a watchful eye on the bull while he crouched next to the fallen rider.  Stannis was sitting up and seemed to have regained his wits but his left arm hung limply at an awkward angle and the grimace on his face betrayed the pain he was in. 

 

“Can you walk?”  Davos held out a hand, the one with the undamaged fingers, and Stannis clasped it with his right hand, allowing Davos to pull him to his feet.

 

“Of course I can,” he growled defensively.  “Dislocated my shoulder is all.  If the damn thing hadn’t started spinning I’d have beaten him.”

 

“I never doubted it for a second,” Davos responded with a grin, relieved that Stannis seemed to be in relatively one piece.

 

Stannis regarded him suspiciously as if he thought he was being mocked, then shook his head and allowed Davos to escort him at a slow limp out of the arena. 

 

~~~

 

As usual, the small town rodeo didn’t have a proper doctor on staff, only a vet to care for the livestock.   The cowboys and cowgirls weren’t deemed as important, and besides, most of them didn’t have insurance anyway.  Insurance was expensive to come by given that most companies wouldn’t insure those in such a dangerous profession.  The vet frowned as Davos helped Stannis off with his shirt.

 

“It’s dislocated.  I’m going to have to reset it.  This is going to hurt,” the vet warned, as Davos studied Stannis’ face.  The color had drained from him and perspiration had dampened his hair from the effort it took to maintain his composure.  Davos wanted to punch the wall in frustration, unable to do anything to help while Stannis was in such obvious pain. 

 

“It can’t hurt any worse than it does now,” Stannis growled, grimacing as the vet probed his shoulder socket with his fingers.

 

“I wouldn’t bet on that,”  the vet countered as he grabbed Stannis’ arm and pulled hard while immediately clasping the displaced shoulder and shoving it back into position.  Stannis let out a sharp cry and shouted a string of expletives as Davos cringed in empathy.  He hadn’t realized he’d been squeezing Stannis’ other hand until Stannis’ grip became so tight that Davos thought his fingers might get crushed.  It wouldn’t do to have his one good hand ruined, since the fingers on his left hand had been shortened several years ago when they’d been severed by a bull and a malfunctioning chute.  Still, he wouldn’t have let go for the world and he secretly wondered if Stannis was even aware of their contact.  If the vet thought anything of it, he didn’t let on.  Stannis quieted, breathing sharply through his gritted teeth and released his hold on Davos, much to Davos’ disappointment.  The vet rigged a makeshift sling with tape and a bandana to immobilize Stannis’ arm.

 

“If I were you, I’d go to the ER and get it X-rayed just in case,” the vet cautioned.  “But I figure you won’t so just try not to move it for at least a couple of weeks.  Tylenol should help with the pain.  If the swelling doesn’t go down in a few days, you will have to see a doctor.” 

 

Then he turned to Davos, “Don’t let him sleep for more than three hours straight before waking him over the next 24 hours.  I’m pretty sure he has a concussion.”

 

Stannis thanked him and Davos draped Stannis’ shirt around his shoulders, not bothering to try and get his arm back into the sleeve.  The vet handed him some extra tape and Davos helped Stannis out to his truck.

 

“I’ll drive,” Davos deadpanned as Stannis regarded him without cracking a smile.  “Allow me.” 

 

Davos bowed, acting the part of chauffeur.  He opened the passenger door and assisted Stannis as he struggled awkwardly to step up and into his seat.  Davos climbed in behind the wheel and reached across Stannis’ body to fasten his seat belt. 

 

Stannis’ eyes narrowed, “You’re going to be insufferable for the next few days, aren’t you.”

 

“Someone has to take care of you.  You do a piss poor job of it on your own,” Davos laughed, starting the engine. 

 

He edged the pickup out of the dirt parking lot and onto the road back to the motel.

 

They’d been riding together since late spring, on the rodeo circuit ─ Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Idaho and Nebraska.   They’d bunked together first out of necessity and later out of convenience.  Money was tight and the rodeo cowboys didn’t see much of the take.  It was common for the men, and the few women, who made their living in professional rodeo to double up.  The twelve room Rawhide motel ─ the only affordable one within an hour’s drive of the Arapahoe county fair ─ was full up by the time Stannis had arrived the day they’d met.  Davos had taken the last room and was signing the paperwork at the front desk.  After hearing the news that there was no vacancy, Stannis was walking out to the parking lot to spend the night in his truck when Davos had stopped him and offered to share his room.  Davos had to admit that he’d found the quiet, intense-looking cowboy easy on the eyes, but he was only being generous, figuring at the very least he’d make a new friend.  Stannis had scowled at him suspiciously but he was tall enough that sleeping in the truck was not an attractive option.  After staring Davos down for an uncomfortable amount of time, he finally seemed to decide that Davos wasn’t a criminal and had mumbled his thanks. 

 

Davos soon learned that Stannis was a man of few words.  He tried not to take it personally when Stannis didn’t laugh at his jokes, or scowled at him when Davos tuned the radio to the local country station and cranked up the volume when they played Bonnie Raitt.  Stannis was prickly, but he was smarter than anyone Davos had ever known and he had a dry sense of humor that cracked Davos up on a daily basis.  Best of all, Stannis didn’t judge.  Davos was pretty sure that Stannis knew the secret he kept ─ that he was queer.  They never spoke openly about it, and never once had Stannis acted offended or like he wanted to lecture him about his sinful behavior. 

 

Despite their differences, the two of them seemed unusually suited as bunkmates.  Stannis’ standoffish personality ensured that he didn’t have any friends on the circuit except for Davos, and because of his sexual orientation, Davos steered clear of forming close friendships as well.  He wasn’t exactly in the closet, but he wasn’t exactly out of it either.  Even though it was the seventies and attitudes were slowly changing in the larger cities, on the circuit it wasn’t something that was talked about.  Davos knew that if he kept a low profile, he could meet men in the next town over ─ or the one even further away better yet ─ but if he tried anything in front of the guys at the local bar after a show, he’d get his ass kicked, or worse.  Rodeo cowboys made jokes about steers and queers, and Davos knew on those occasions he’d better laugh before somebody got drunk and decided to teach him a lesson.

 

Stannis never mentioned it when Davos returned to their motel room well after the bars closed and never acted uncomfortable sharing a room with a gay man ─ even when they ran out of double rooms and they had to sleep on opposite sides of the same mattress.  Davos thought being roommates with Stannis would be for only the one week, but money was tight and one week turned into two, and then it became a permanent arrangement.  Everything would have been perfect ─ but Davos hadn’t counted on falling so hard for the brooding cowboy with the dark blue eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

“Ketamine?”  Stannis growled, looking at the enormous pill that Davos had handed him.  “Isn’t that for horses?”

 

“Tylenol won’t do shit to stop the kind of pain you’ve got,” Davos argued.  “I got these from another vet back in Pocatello.  They were cheap and they get the job done.  Just take it.  You need to sleep.”

 

Stannis hesitated but when he flinched in pain after taking a deep breath that seemed to overcome any doubts he had.  He downed the pill with a glass of water that Davos provided.  Thirty minutes later he felt movement on the bed as Davos lay down on the opposite side, and then he drifted off.

 

Stannis awoke sometime later to loud voices and drunken laughter ─ the radio blasting some singer with a nasal twang.  His shoulder throbbed, but dully now, not the sharp stabbing pain that hurt every time he drew breath.   His head throbbed too.  He squinted at the door and noted the neon glow of the motel sign filtering around the edges where the weather stripping had worn away.  It was still dark.

 

“Davos,” he croaked, his throat feeling like sandpaper, “turn down the damn radio.” 

 

Even as he said it, he realized that Davos was still asleep beside him.  He could tell by his rhythmic breathing.  The noise was coming from the room next door. 

 

“Hey, keep it down over there!”  Davos shouted suddenly, banging his palm against the wall and making Stannis cringe as the vibration aggravated his headache.  Evidently the noise had woken Davos too. They heard a woman giggle and a man curse but the music quieted by a few decibels.  

 

“Better?”  Davos mumbled before turning on his side and promptly beginning to snore softly.

 

Stannis smiled despite his discomfort.  Davos was perhaps the only person who always made him feel better no matter how dark his mood.  Davos was his best friend ─ his only real friend.  He’d done nothing to encourage his loyalty or his good humor, and yet Davos continued to be his friend.  Sometimes he wondered if Davos wanted more than friendship.  Hell, it was obvious the way he looked at him sometimes ─ his brown eyes going all soft, and looking away quickly when he realized he’d been caught staring.  The guilty expression on his face told Stannis everything he needed to know.  Then again tonight, after Davos had awoken him earlier ─ just before Stannis had drifted off again, he’d felt Davos’ lips pressed gently against his forehead.  Stannis was pretty sure it had happened, and wasn’t a hallucination brought on by the drugs.  Davos wanted him and that was a problem. 

 

What was even more troubling was that, Stannis had come to realize that deep down, he was more than a little attracted to Davos.  Stannis hadn’t realized that he’d been holding Davos’ hand when the vet had been setting his shoulder.  It had been a natural act, without thinking, and one that Stannis had initiated.  He’d felt comfortable enough with Davos to hold his hand ─ in public.  That was a clear sign that they’d been getting way too close.  He couldn’t allow his thoughts to wander in that direction and he absolutely couldn’t offer Davos anything more than a platonic relationship. 

 

Oddly enough, his decision had nothing to do with his own sexual orientation or his stance on homosexuality.  Homosexuality ─ that was the clinical term for it, cold and impersonal.  The men he worked with used more colorful terms.  By whatever name, it was hardly the norm in rural America, nor was it accepted by most people ─ especially not by the other cowboys.  Most of them looked at the existence of gays as an affront to their manhood, their religion, and the very moral fabric of the nation.  If it became known that the two of them were something more than friends, not only would they be shunned by the others, there was a good chance that someone would want to teach them a lesson.  Engaging in a sexual relationship with Davos could get them both killed, or at the very least kicked off the rodeo circuit.  Then where would they be?  

  
As if self-preservation wasn’t reason enough to keep Davos at arm’s length, Stannis had another, more personal reason.  It had to do with the secret he had kept since he’d left home all those years ago ─ the secret known only to himself and his older brother.  If Davos knew what he’d kept hidden ─ the kind of monster he really was ─ he wouldn’t want a relationship of any kind.  If Davos knew, he’d never speak to him again and Stannis wouldn’t blame him.  For better or for worse, Davos didn’t know, and he was too much of a coward to tell him the truth.

 

Stannis thought about it until his head began to pound relentlessly.  The only thing he knew for certain was that he wasn’t going to allow himself to get close to anyone ever again.  He’d have to do something about Davos and soon ─ let him know that there couldn’t ever be more than friendship between them.  They would have to have a conversation tomorrow that wasn’t going to be easy for either of them.  Davos cared for him too much already and Stannis was doubly concerned of crossing that line himself.  Even now, as Stannis listened to the steady breathing of the man lying beside him it was all he could do to keep himself from imagining what it would feel like to pull Davos close and drift off to sleep in his arms. 

 

Carefully, Stannis sat up, biting his lip to stifle a groan that would awaken Davos and reached for the pill bottle on the nightstand.  He downed another tranquilizer.  Not only would it help with the pain but it would mute the toxic thoughts that swirled through his head ─ thoughts that allowed him to hope that Davos would forgive him ─ that they could somehow make it work.  Stannis lay back against the pillows and closed his eyes, waiting for the drug to numb his body and his mind.

 

~~~

 

“We need to talk,” Stannis blurted out suddenly, just as Davos was guiding the pickup out of the gas station and back onto the deserted highway.

 

Davos snorted, earning him a sharp look from Stannis ─ the person least likely to ask him to talk.

 

“I’m serious,” Stannis added with emphasis. 

 

“Okay, then tell me what’s on your mind.”   Davos kept his voice calm but inwardly he was worried. 

 

He glanced at Stannis, who met his gaze briefly before quickly averting his eyes to stare into the passenger side mirror.  From the corner of his eye, he noted the movement of Stannis’ left hand, fingers flexing and relaxing as was his habit when he was anxious.  Davos’ stomach lurched.  This wasn’t something Stannis wanted to talk about, and he had a bad feeling.  

 

Davos had never imagined becoming so connected to Stannis ─ to anyone really.  In the last couple of weeks he’d taken care of his friend, practically hovering over him like a mother hen until Stannis had begged him to find someone else to bother.   Davos would help Stannis shave, re-tape his arm and dress ─ laying out his well-worn jeans and buttoning his shirt and pushing on his boots while Stannis grumbled steadily and finally snapped at Davos that he _wasn_ _’t going to follow him into the bathroom_ and that _he could take a piss by himself thank you very much_.  Davos knew that Stannis hated being helpless and it meant the world to him that Stannis actually allowed him take care of him despite his protests that he didn’t need a nursemaid. 

 

Afterwards, they would head across the parking lot to the diner and have breakfast.  Davos would grab a newspaper for Stannis from a nearby table, spreading it out for him to read, before signaling the waitress for coffee.  Davos would usually talk to the waitress, asking about her family, while Stannis ignored them.   After placing their order and downing a cup of coffee, Davos would shift his attention to Stannis, talking about nothing in particular ─ sharing stories about his past, or his time in the rodeo.  Stannis grunted occasionally to indicate he was listening, sometimes he’d make an observation.  Finally, after a lot of patience and coaxing, Stannis might share a story of his own.   Davos knew that Stannis never did that with anyone else. 

 

Davos had come to treasure these times, spending the better part of their days and nights together.  He felt comfortable with Stannis ─ content.  Although he wanted more than just a friendship, he respected that Stannis did not.  It was only recently that Davos had realized just how deeply he had fallen for this man.  He couldn’t imagine losing him.  Every morning he woke up beside him and felt happy ─ like he belonged there.  He was happy despite the fact that sometimes he wanted Stannis so much it was physically painful and he had to take an extra-long shower in order to relieve himself.  He’d begun to fantasize about Stannis too much for his own good. He wasn’t sure how long he could live like this, but for now it was enough ─ it had to be.

 

Stannis’ injuries had healed for the most part now that they were leaving Longmont.  Fortunately for Stannis, the injury wasn’t to his rope gripping arm and he intended to resume riding once they reached Missoula no matter how strongly Davos advised against it.  Stannis didn’t rely on Davos to help him do routine tasks anymore, and yet Davos knew that Stannis liked having him around.  In fact, he was dead certain of it because if Stannis didn’t want someone around he made it plain.  Stannis didn’t beat around the bush when he was annoyed with someone.  That was why the moment Stannis said that he wanted to talk, Davos dreaded it like he was about to be told he had a terminal illness.

 

“Once we get to Missoula,” Stannis hesitated, clearly struggling to get it out, “I think that it’s best if we don’t bunk together anymore.”

 

The silence stretched between them a few long moments as Davos’ hands clenched on the steering wheel and he stared at the road ahead.

 

“Okay.  If you think it’s best.”  Davos replied shortly.  His heart was pounding and he felt nauseous, like the morning after a bad bender.  He waited for Stannis to respond, but when that didn’t happen for a full minute he continued, “Are you going to give me a reason or is that all you have to say?”

 

“Davos,” Stannis said his name slowly.  “I may be way out of line. But I don’t think I am.”

 

Davos shifted his grip on the steering wheel but continued to look straight ahead.  He could guess what was coming and he didn’t want to look at Stannis’ face for this.

 

“I think you might have─” Stannis cut himself off and shifted in his seat as if trying to find a more comfortable position.  “Oh hell, I’m just going to say it.  I think you have feelings for me that I can’t return.  It isn’t that I don’t value our friendship─”

 

“Don’t!”  Davos snapped. He’d guessed that this would happen eventually, but even still he hadn’t been prepared.  Hearing Stannis say the words was almost more than he could stand.  “You don’t need to spell it out for me.  I get it.” 

 

He clutched the wheel even more tightly to prevent his hands from shaking, his knuckles turning white.  “If that’s how you feel, we’ll get our own separate rooms.”

 

The silence stretched again until it grew uncomfortable.  At last Davos chuckled, a mirthless, anxious sound.

 

 “I suppose that people were talking about us anyway.  Wondering why a nice guy like me would room with a stubborn, unfriendly, cowboy like you.  It’s probably a good thing that we split up so you don’t sully my reputation.”

“Davos─”

 

He wished he could be anywhere but alone in the truck with Stannis right now.  He focused intently on the road, breathing in and out, and keeping it together.

 

“I’ll be all right, Stannis.  I always am.”


	3. Chapter 3

 

“Hey Baratheon, why don’t you try taping yourself to the bull instead of taping that shoulder?  You might stay on longer!”

 

Stannis scowled and ignored the laughter of the group of cowboys sitting on a ring of barrels near the stables.  He recognized the steer wrestler, Nate Belwas, and Daario Naharis, the flashy bronc buster ─ the one who’d shouted the insult.  Stannis was about to offer a sarcastic reply when he saw Davos sitting behind them.  He was sipping from a silver flask that he handed to Belwas.  Stannis frowned and kept walking.  He’d never known Davos to drink in the middle of the day, but it wasn’t any of his business.

 

The first few days in Missoula had been rough ones for Stannis.  If he numbed himself up with meds he could ride, but not worth shit.  Every time he was thrown, the pain reawakened and he had to lie in bed and not move for a few hours afterwards.  His shoulder was healing well, but he had to admit that Davos was right; it was probably too soon to ride. 

 

Not that Davos was around to say I told you so.  Davos wasn’t giving him advice anymore, or helping him get through the day with one good arm.  Davos wasn’t speaking to him at all, and Stannis had never felt lonelier.  It didn’t seem to matter to the rest of the cowboys on the circuit that Stannis and Davos had gone their separate ways.  Stannis still didn’t have any friends.  Davos, on the other hand, seemed to be doing just fine without Stannis.  If anything, Davos seemed more sociable than before.  Stannis often saw him sitting with some of the other bull riders in the back by the pens, laughing and dipping snuff.  Since when had Davos started dipping?  Stannis had told him it was a disgusting habit and he’d agreed.  Davos and his new friends would all go quiet when Stannis walked by and he wondered if he were the topic of conversation.

 

Stannis told himself it was for the best, but he had begun to wonder.   If this was how it was going to be from now on, how bad was the alternative?  Was it really that terrible that Davos had a crush on him?  He’d never acted on it.  He’d never acted as anything other than Stannis’ friend.  Alone at night in his room, Stannis sat on the bed and tried to tape up his shoulder with one hand ─ the silent radio a constant reminder that Davos wasn’t there.  At night, Stannis questioned himself and realized that maybe he hadn’t really been afraid of Davos’ feelings; maybe he’d been more afraid of his own.  At night, Stannis wished that they could go back to the way things were, but it was too late.

 

Even though Stannis was mildly irritated that Davos was coping so well without him around, Stannis was also actually relieved.  He only wanted the best for Davos, and he had been afraid that Davos might do something drastic after he’d accused him of wanting a romantic relationship.  The only concern he’d had was Davos’ drinking.  Admittedly, Davos had never been one to abstain from alcohol since Stannis had known him.  Stannis had carried him home from the bar on a couple of occasions, and he knew that Davos sometimes drank to deaden the aches and pains brought on by too many rodeo injuries.  However, Stannis had never noticed Davos drinking in the middle of the day, or sipping from a flask before a show as he’d caught him the day before. 

 

Maybe it was his guilt that he was to blame for causing Davos to drink that made Stannis follow the caravan of pickup trucks to the bar later that night.   Maybe he was envious that Davos was better off somehow, having more fun without Stannis than he’d ever had with him and his strict set of rules.  No matter the reason, Stannis found himself at the honkytonk ten miles outside of town.  The celebration was already well under way by the time he arrived, found a spot at the bar, and ordered his usual water with lemon.  Davos was shooting pool in the corner with some cowboys who had clearly had a few already, their laughter coming in loud bursts and punctuated with more than a few swear words.  Stannis noted that the poor waitress had had her ass grabbed on several occasions, by a handsy drunk when she’d ventured into their territory with a tray of beers.  Stannis thought of intervening on her behalf, but figured that she’d only get mad at him for jeopardizing her tips.

 

Stannis leaned against the bar and studied Davos with a mixture of worry, sadness, and what could only be defined as jealousy, although he couldn’t quite figure out what he was jealous of.  It wasn’t as if he had any claim on Davos, as a friend or love interest.  Stannis found himself grinding his teeth as he watched him.  He hated his mood, the loud music and the even louder drunks.   He was about to take his leave when Davos noticed him.  Their eyes found each other through the crowd and Davos’ face instantly took on that pained expression he’d worn in the truck when Stannis had told him they should keep their distance from each other.  Then, Davos’ expression darkened as his eyes narrowed with a newfound intensity.  Stannis couldn’t remember ever seeing him look so ─ dangerous ─ even when charging between a fallen cowboy and an angry bull.  Davos leaned close to the man next to him, the extremely burly Nate Belwas.  Nate was a mountain of a man, bald as a cue ball with massive arms that could bring a steer to the ground in four seconds flat.  Whatever Davos said to Nate caused him to nod and follow Davos through the exit leading outside.  As he was leaving, Davos gave Stannis a last hard look that he found unsettling.

 

Stannis waited about five minutes and when Davos didn’t return he decided it was time to go.  It was obvious that Davos didn’t need, or want him around.  He may as well have told him to fuck off from the look he’d given him.  Stannis buttoned his jacket to ward off the chilly mountain air as he stepped outside.  Crossing the gravel parking lot to his truck, his attention was drawn to the alley at the side of the building.  He heard a man’s raised voice and a sharp sound like a body striking cement.  Stannis’ heart pounded in his chest as he rushed to investigate, already fearing the worst.

 

“You little faggot!  I’ll fucking break your face!”

 

In the dim illumination from a solitary light at the corner of the building Stannis could make out the large bulk of Nate.  His fist was raised and pointed toward the smaller form of Davos against the wall.  Davos looked as if he could barely stand, his back pressed against the brick.  His head lolled to the side and he pushed ineffectively against Nate’s chest with his shortened fingers.

 

“I’m not a homo.  Keep your fucking queer hands off my ass!”  Nate shouted.

 

His fist connected with Davos’ jaw and his head snapped back against the wall with a dull thud.  Davos groaned and slid down the wall, landing in a limp heap.  Davos immediately rolled onto his side and vomited a stream of liquid.

 

“That’s enough!”  Stannis snarled, positioning his body between Nate and Davos.  “Leave him alone.”

 

Nate glared at Stannis, his face still red with rage. 

 

“We came out here to have a smoke and this goddamn queer made a pass!  Get him the hell out of my sight before I kill the motherfucker!”

 

Nate stepped toward Davos and Stannis held up both hands to stop him.  “You’ll have to fight me first.  It won’t be so easy since I’m not half drunk.”  He could see Nate hesitate.  He quickly added,   “Go back inside and I’ll take him home.”

 

Nate bent to pick up his hat, which had fallen off in the struggle.  He brushed it off against his leg and put it back on. 

 

“Hell, you’re probably queer too.  You bunked with him all that time.  I don’t give a shit what you boys do in private but stay the hell away from me!” 

 

Having said his piece, he spat on the ground at Stannis’ feet and went back into the bar through the alley door.

 

Stannis released a tense breath.  He wasn’t sure if he could have taken Nate, but he would have fought him to protect Davos.  He turned his attention back to Davos, who was groaning and attempting to crawl away from him.

 

“Come on, I’ll get you back to the motel,” Stannis growled, picking up Davos’ hat before reaching down to pull him to his feet. 

 

Davos leaned heavily against the wall, his legs shaking.  He spat on the ground and Stannis saw his saliva was tinged with blood.  He could also see that Davos’ eye was already swelling shut. 

 

“We need to get out of here before Nate tells the others and the rest of them come out to prove their manhood.”

 

“I don’t need your help,” Davos snapped, shaking off Stannis’ hand.

 

“The fuck you don’t!”

 

“Leave,” Davos’ gasped through a round of coughing followed by more spitting.

 

“Looks as if you might have a cracked rib.   I’ve still got tape and bandages in my room.  Let’s go.” 

 

Davos didn’t answer and tried to walk away under his own power but went down on one knee after taking two shaky steps.  Stannis grabbed his arm roughly, stepping under his shoulder and lifting so that Davos was leaning heavily against him.  Davos groaned and cursed under his breath but appeared not to have the strength to fight him.

 

“Fuck you,” Davos hissed softly.

 

“Fuck you too,” Stannis muttered, half dragging Davos across the parking lot to his truck.


	4. Chapter 4

 

Davos drifted in and out of consciousness.   Why wasn’t he in bed?  He just wanted to sleep but the truck hit a pothole and jostled him awake with a stab of pain to his bruised ribs.  He was still in the truck, his head against the window.  Where were they going?  The bright flash of headlights from an oncoming semi made him shut his eyes tightly and his mind began to slide away again.  This time when he came to he was no longer in the truck.  He was back home ─ at the apartment in Tulsa.  He had just turned seven but his mama couldn’t afford the rent that week so there had been no presents ─ just a Milky Way and a Dr. Pepper from the vending machine at the laundromat instead of a cake.  Davos watched his mama put on her earrings as she stood looking into the mirror and getting dressed to go out.  She smelled like lilacs and the rum she’d poured into the plastic cup with the other half of his Dr. Pepper.  He knew she wouldn’t be back until late, if she came back at all that night.  He wouldn’t ask her to stay because it was his fault she was alone.  His fault that his daddy had left them ─ even if she said it wasn’t true.  He’d heard them fighting and his daddy say that he’d never wanted a kid and how did he even know that Davos was his kid anyway.  He only hoped she didn’t come home with bruises on her face like the last time. 

 

She kissed Davos goodnight before she left and told him to be a good boy and not to stay up too late.  As soon as she closed the door he ran to her bedroom and turned on the radio.  He grinned as the announcer introduced the next song, a swing tune by Bob Wills, _Stay a Little Longer_.  It was one of his favorites.  He closed his eyes and pictured his mama dancing with a tall handsome cowboy and in his imagination she was smiling.

 

When Davos awoke next he had no idea where he was but his head felt like he’d been kicked by a bull.  He was in a bed and sunlight was streaming in through thin white curtains.  He tried to sit up and his stomach did a backflip.  He wondered how far the bathroom was.  He half rolled and half fell out of the bed he was on.   He managed to make it across the room, out the door and into a hallway, where he spotted the bathroom.  Davos barely made it to the toilet before emptying the contents of his stomach.  After spending a good twenty minutes waiting for the last of his dry heaves to subside and washing up as best he could, he staggered back to the bedroom where he was confronted by the piercing gaze of Stannis Baratheon.

 

“Maybe next time you’ll think twice before drinking that much,” Stannis snarled, clearly not in a better mood than Davos vaguely remembered from last night.

 

“Could you please not shout,” Davos whispered, closing his eyes.  If there was a spot on him that didn’t hurt, Davos didn’t know where it was.

 

“I’m not shouting at all.  I’m speaking in a normal tone of voice.  You’d know that if you weren’t hung over.  What in the hell made you do it, Davos?”

 

Davos suspected that Stannis wasn’t talking about his drinking.  In the shape he was in he wasn’t ready to have this conversation, although he knew it would have to happen eventually.  Stannis would insist on it, and when Stannis insisted it was a done deal.

 

“I don’t want to talk about it now.  Can it wait?”

 

Stannis snorted his displeasure but thankfully didn’t argue. 

 

“When you’re ready come find me.  I’ll be outside feeding the horses.”

 

_Horses?_   Davos wasn’t ready to figure anything out yet so he let it go. 

 

“Coffee?” he managed to ask through gritted teeth.

 

Stannis stared at him with no visible sympathy in his steel blue eyes.  After a lengthy silence he answered, “There’s a pot in the kitchen.  Help yourself.  There might be a few biscuits left over from breakfast too.  Ask Cressen.”

 

_Cressen?_   Apparently they weren’t the only ones here, wherever _here_ was.  Davos merely grunted and brushed past Stannis into the hallway.  He made a guess and turned right.  The hallway was long and there were several doors.  The house appeared to be massive.  Where the fuck were they?

 

“Other way,” Stannis explained, “and there’s a clean shirt on the chair that I borrowed from one of the ranch hands about your size.  You may want to freshen up first.” 

 

Another man might have said it with a tinge of humor, but coming from Stannis it was an order.  With that, Stannis left him alone and bewildered.

 

~~~

 

 

Two hours later, after a few cups of strong coffee, a tall glass of water, and a shower, Davos was starting to feel human again.  He’d actually found a bottle of Tylenol in the medicine cabinet and nearly cried with joy as he quickly downed three.  His eye was badly swollen and his jaw hurt to chew, but he felt lucky that nothing on his person seemed seriously damaged.  He didn’t think his ribs were cracked, merely bruised, and he hadn’t vomited since earlier that morning.  Thank the lord for small victories.

 

Wandering through the house and peering outside, he’d deduced that Stannis had brought him to a massive working ranch somewhere south of Missoula, but he hadn’t run into anyone else in the house so he knew no more than that.  Davos found Stannis outside in the barn saddling a coal black horse.

 

“Where are we?”  Davos asked as Stannis tightened the leather straps on the saddle.

 

“Storm’s End,” Stannis replied without meeting his eyes.  “The Baratheon family ranch.”

 

“Yours?”  Davos gaped in surprise.  He had suspected that Stannis came from a wealthier family than his own, from what little Stannis had told him about himself, but that wasn’t saying much.  He hadn’t presumed Stannis was rich.  If that were true what the fuck was he doing on a small-town rodeo circuit riding bulls for a living?

 

“Technically my younger brother’s, although I own a share.  My older brother, Robert, died two years ago and left the majority to Renly.  I wouldn’t have brought you here ─ but it was close and I didn’t think we should go back to the motel with Nate and his friends still looking to kick your ass.”

 

“Nate did a pretty good job of kicking my ass already.”  Davos tried to smile but due to his sore jaw it ended up being more of a grimace.  “Does Renly know we’re here?”

 

“Renly doesn’t live on the ranch.  He’s more of a city boy.” 

 

Davos thought he noticed a shade of resentment cross Stannis’ face. 

 

“Old man Cressen, a friend of our father, manages it now.  He took care of us after our parents died.  I drop by sometimes when I’m in the area ─ just to make sure things are running smoothly.  I like taking care of the horses.  This is Fury.” 

 

Stannis patted the animal on the side of its neck and it snorted and bobbed its head as if it was happy that Stannis was back.

 

“He’s my horse.  I’ve had him for fifteen years.  He was a sonofabitch to break and he still won’t let anyone ride him but me.”

 

Davos knew Stannis’ parents had died when he was young.  He’d told him that much, but all the rest was news.  Stannis had told him more about himself in the last five minutes than he had in the months they’d known each other.  Something about being home seemed to relax him and allow him to open up.  As Davos watched Stannis stroke Fury affectionately, the strong bond between them obvious to anyone, he tried to ignore the stirring of affection in his own heart.  This was a side of Stannis few had seen.  Davos longed to learn more about the reticent cowboy, although he knew that further emotional investment would bring him nothing but heartache.

 

“I heard you were back.  It’s certainly good to have you home, Stannis.”

 

Davos turned to see a rail-thin, weathered man in his late sixties enter the barn.  His white hair flew out in tufts from his balding head, giving him the appearance of a giant bird.

 

“Hello, Cressen.”  Stannis shook the man’s hand warmly, patting his arm.  “I’m not staying long.”

 

Cressen frowned but didn’t offer comment on Stannis’ abrupt remark.  “Who is your friend?”

 

“This is Davos Seaworth.  He had a rough night and sustained a few injuries.  I thought he might stay here a few days.”

 

Davos opened his mouth to object, but Cressen spoke first.  “Of course, we will be happy to host Mr. Seaworth.”

 

“I don’t expect you to host him,” Stannis countered with a smirk.  “Davos can earn his keep just like all the other hands.”

 

Davos raised an eyebrow and again thought to protest but Stannis cut him off.

 

“Cressen, would you have someone saddle Black Betha for Davos?  We’re going to ride out to mend the fence near Blackwater Creek.  I’m told that we’ve been losing cattle there.”

 

“Yes, that was on my list of things to take care of today,” Cressen explained.  “I’ll have Edric fetch Black Betha at once.”

 

“Ride?”  Davos cringed at the thought of bouncing around on horseback in his present condition.  “If it’s all the same to you, I’d just as soon return to the motel if you could arrange for someone to drive me back.”

 

“No,” Stannis stated, presenting Davos with his typical scowl.

 

“No?  Are you holding me prisoner here or something?”  Davos chuckled somewhat nervously.  He wasn’t at all sure what Stannis intended, talking about his working on the ranch as if he’d just agreed to become a hired hand.

 

“I’m not holding you against your will.  You’re free to walk back if you like.  Town is thirty miles north,” Stannis replied shortly, pointing in that direction.  “But I think you owe me an explanation and I suppose I owe you one too.  I wanted us to speak in private ─ where we won’t be overheard.  I’m going to mend the fence.  I’d like you to come with me but that’s your choice to make.”

 

Davos followed Stannis as he led Fury outside into the mid-day sunshine.  It was warm and the sun felt good on his bruised face, the pain already somewhat dulled by the medicine he’d taken.   Davos hesitated for a moment when a young ranch hand with dark hair and a round face brought a saddled black and white mare to stand in front of him.  Stannis mounted up and glanced at Davos before tugging the reins gently and causing Fury to step forward at a brisk trot.

 

“I suppose I’ll come along and keep you company.  Just this once,” Davos quipped to nobody but himself as he mounted up.  Stannis was already out of earshot.

 

~~~

 

 

They rode in silence for over an hour, single file with Stannis leading the way, following the fence line over the rocky terrain.  Davos felt the butterflies gathering in his stomach.  He’d never been nervous around Stannis before and he wasn’t sure why it was different this time ─ it just was.  Maybe because this time there would be no changing the subject or leaving the room when emotions became too exposed.  This time they would have it out once and for all.  Then, Stannis would leave him for good, just like everyone else in his life.  Davos knew the feeling all too well ─ his father’s abandonment, his mother’s early death, every lover he’d met for a one-night stand.  He’d managed to survive it all thus far, but this one was going to be hard to take.

 

It was another two hours after they found the damaged section of wire, before the repairs were complete.  Stannis still hadn’t spoken, other than to grunt out an order, or criticize Davos’ fence-mending skills.  The knot in Davos’ stomach was growing larger the longer he waited.  By this time, he’d played the conversation over and over in his mind ─ what he would say to fix it so that Stannis wouldn’t leave ─ what he would say to make things go back to the way they were before he’d ruined everything.  There had to be a way.  To make matters worse, while they were working the weather had started to turn.  Grey clouds began to dim the sun, warning of a summer storm heading their way.  Davos considered it a bad omen.

 

“For fuck’s sake can we just talk about it already?”  Davos finally blurted out to Stannis’ back when the tension became unbearable.

 

Stannis didn’t turn around, gloved hands still working with wire cutters as he growled his answer. 

 

“I’m ready when you are.”

 

“I wanted to hurt you ─ to make you feel like I felt when you decided to send me away.  I acted like an idiot.  I didn’t mean to drag you into it.” 

 

Davos’ tongue felt thick and he realized that nothing was coming out the way he’d rehearsed it in his mind. 

 

Stannis stopped working and straightened, but still kept his back to Davos. 

 

“You got your ass kicked to hurt me?” 

 

He said it with his typical dry humor, in a deadpan delivery that made Davos relax a bit.

 

“When you put it that way, it does sound like a crazy plan,” Davos chuckled.  “I’ll admit I hadn’t thought it through.”

 

“Because you were drunk.  Why would you do that to yourself, Davos?” 

 

There was a note of tension in Stannis’ voice that hadn’t been there before.  Davos knew that the time for joking around was over.

 

“You left me and I didn’t do anything wrong!”  Davos snapped, a sudden rush of anger making the blood pound in his temples, causing his headache to return full force.  “So what if I like men?  So what if I’m attracted to you?!”

 

At that Stannis turned to face him, his eyes narrowing.

 

“That’s right ─ I’m admitting it,” Davos snapped.

 

Davos met Stannis’ critical gaze for a long moment before averting his eyes and staring at the ground. 

 

“But it doesn’t matter.  What matters is that I would never try anything with you.  I NEVER tried anything with you!  I didn’t do anything wrong, Stannis.  It isn’t fair that you want to get rid of me because I make you uncomfortable.  That’s what everyone else does, but not you.”  Davos met Stannis’ gaze again, his voice trembling.  “I thought we were friends!  What the fuck did I do wrong?!” 

 

Davos realized he was shouting, and his face was hot with emotion.

 

“Is that what you think?!”  Stannis exclaimed, looking as if he’d been slapped.  “That you did something wrong?” 

 

He shook his head slowly and began to pace. 

 

“Fuck.  I never meant─” Stannis abruptly halted and stared at Davos.  “You don’t know anything about me, Davos.  You wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me if you knew the truth.  I only wanted to make it easier ─ to spare your feelings.”

 

Davos could see the pain in his eyes and without thinking, reached for him, but Stannis pulled away.  Slowly, Stannis began to tell his story, halting from time to time as he selected the right words.

 

“When I was seventeen I had a friend ─ Willas Tyrell.  His family lived on the next ranch over from ours ─ we went to school together.  He was a _close_ friend ─ like you.” 

 

Stannis raised an eyebrow and Davos instantly recognized the deeper meaning of his words.  He swallowed hard. 

 

“You mean you’re─ why didn’t you tell me?!” 

 

Davos stared at Stannis incredulously.  He thought Stannis had been uncomfortable with him because he was queer and Stannis was straight.  Had Stannis been keeping it to himself all these months that he was queer too?  Davos’ first reaction was anger, but that was quickly tempered by his curiosity about why Stannis had kept quiet.  Moreover, Davos felt his heart begin to pound in response to a new emotion ─ one that he’d never allowed himself to experience before ─ hope.

 

Stannis seemed to detect the spark in Davos’ eyes and held up a hand. 

 

“I’m not finished yet.  You need to hear the whole truth.”

 

Davos chewed on his lower lip to keep himself from speaking and nodded.

 

“I’d never been much good at dating.  I was always more comfortable around horses than people.” Stannis made a sound that Davos took as a mirthless chuckle.  “I’d never even asked a girl out.  Robert teased me about it constantly and so I kept to myself except for Willas.  Willas never teased me, he just listened.  We went everywhere together ─ the movies, the rodeo, high school football games.   One night we were at the drive-in movie, sitting in my truck.  Willas kissed me.”

 

Stannis was staring off into space and Davos held his breath waiting for him to continue.

 

“I didn’t stop him.  I liked it.  I liked it too much.” 

 

Stannis took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

 

“We ended up─ well, doing what teenagers do at a drive-in movie.  Anyway, someone must have seen us because Robert found out.  Robert, _my brother_ ,” Stannis growled the words through gritted teeth, “and his friends followed Willas home after the football game the next night.  They forced his truck off the road, took him out into the woods and beat him.  They beat him so badly he nearly died.  He never walked right again.”

 

“But that wasn’t your fault!” Davos interrupted, “How could you blame yourself for that?”

 

“Later, there was a hearing ─ not a trial really but more of a lawsuit brought by the Tyrells.  Willas sent me a letter and asked me to testify for his side.  You see, Robert had admitted to me that he was responsible.  He told me that I should consider it a warning ─ that I should find a nice girl and start dating before people started spreading rumors about me.”

 

“What did you do?”

 

“I didn’t _do_ anything,” Stannis replied bitterly.  “I sat there and watched Robert and his friends tell their lies ─ that they had nothing to with it.  It was Willas’ word against theirs, absent any physical proof.  When the judge asked anyone who had information to come forward I sat there in silence ─ a coward ─ too ashamed to admit what I was.”

 

“It still wouldn’t have mattered,” Davos argued.  “What Robert told you was hearsay.  You said yourself there was no physical evidence.  Besides, it wouldn’t have been easy for a grown man to testify against his own brother ─ you were seventeen!”

 

“I was old enough to know right from wrong.  I’ll never forget the look of betrayal on Willas’ face─” Stannis’ voice grew hoarse.  “I left home after it was over.  I worked at ranches here and there, wherever they would hire me, until I started on the rodeo circuit.  I never spoke to Robert or Willas again.”

 

Davos stepped closer, rather than being repulsed as Stannis obviously expected, he wanted nothing more than to take Stannis into his arms and tell him that everything was going to be okay now.  Everything was out in the open now.  Now they had a chance for a future.  This was the only thing that had kept them apart ─ this self-imposed punishment that Stannis was enduring.  Davos was certain that he could help Stannis work through this.  He felt like laughing out loud that his worst fears were unfounded, but he restrained himself, aware that Stannis was still hurting.

 

Boldly he reached out and touched his hand to the side of Stannis’ face, the scratchy sensation of his unshaven stubble sending an electric charge through Davos’ fingertips.  Thunder rumbled low and long in the distance as if warning him to be careful.  He’d never dared touch Stannis like this before.

 

“I know you blame yourself.  Believe me I know that feeling.  But that was a long time ago.  You’ve proven yourself to be a good man since then.  Hell, you saved my life last night.  Don’t you think it’s time that you forgive yourself?”

 

Davos caressed Stannis’ face calming him like he would a spooked horse.   His gaze flitted between Stannis’ dark eyes and his lips, contemplating what Stannis would do if he were to kiss him.  Jesus, he’d never wanted to kiss anybody this much in his life.  He saw Stannis’ lips part slightly and felt his breath catch.  Stannis wanted this too, he could sense it.  Davos leaned in, when to his dismay, Stannis jerked away.

 

“I don’t need your pity, Davos,” he snarled, his voice raw, intentionally ignoring the intimate moment that had just occurred between them.  “I didn’t tell you this story to make you feel sorry for me.  I wanted you to face the truth that in our world ─ in the real world ─ there is no future for us.  There can never be anything more than what we have right now!”

 

A loud clap of thunder sounded much closer this time and the wind began to rattle the nearby tree branches causing the horses to whinny in protest.

 

“We should be getting back.  It’ll be dark soon.” 

 

Stannis began to pick up his tools while Davos watched helplessly, trying to think of the words to change Stannis’ mind.

 

“We’re going to talk about his more, later,” he declared as he moved to assist Stannis in packing.  “I’m not ready to give up.  I refuse to believe that it’s as hopeless as you think.”

 

“Then you’re a fool,” Stannis shot back as the first drops of rain began to fall.


	5. Chapter 5

 

It was late by the time they made it back to Storm’s End.  Along the way they’d come across a couple of strays that had escaped through the broken fence and gotten spooked by the storm.  They’d tied them behind the horses and led them back, but it was slow going in the dark and the steady rain.  Luckily the horses knew the way to the barn even without moonlight to guide them. 

 

Davos was tired and soaking wet, wanting nothing more than a hot shower and a dry shirt but Stannis promptly reminded him they had to put away the saddles and take care of the horses before they could even think about returning to the house.  None of the other ranch hands were around.  They’d probably skipped a trip to the bars and opted for an early bedtime with the rain turning the roads to shit.  Whatever the reason, there wasn’t anyone to help put the horses up. 

 

Stannis headed outside to secure the two stray calves in their sheltered pen at the back of the barn while Davos led Black Betha to her stall.

 

“Sonofabitch,” Davos muttered to himself as he hoisted the heavy saddle and hung it on the wall.  He’d discovered that the stall was out of hay.  Apparently everyone thought that he and Stannis wouldn’t be returning in the storm and would be camping somewhere that night, as the other stalls seemed to have been serviced.  There was nothing to be done about it but climb up to the hayloft and toss down a couple of bales before Stannis ordered him to do it. 

 

As Davos reached for a rung on the wooden ladder leading to the loft, his wet button-down clung to his sore ribs like plastic wrap.  Even worse, after the chill air outside, the humidity in the warm barn was causing him to sweat buckets.  He felt like he’d climbed into a sauna with his clothes on.

 

“Fuck it,” Davos cursed, quickly shedding the offending garment.  He twisted the shirt in his hands, wringing out a stream of water before tossing it aside.  Then, he grabbed the rungs one after another and climbed carefully up the ladder and into the loft, his stiff muscles aching in protest with each step. 

 

Once in the loft Davos stood still a moment to catch his breath, his body reminding him that he’d had a strenuous day of work on top of a night of drinking and fighting.  There were no lights in the hay loft, a precaution against fires, so Davos relied on the dim light below to illuminate the area around him.  He found a few bales of hay nearby and immediately sat down to rest.  He longed for a cigarette, but he knew it was too dangerous to smoke in a barn and he figured that the half-empty pack in his wet back pocket just might be ruined anyway.  That was a shame because he needed to still his mind a minute and think and a smoke always helped him relax.   Since he’d talked to Stannis he hadn’t had a chance to process anything while they were riding through the rain in the darkness, picking their way carefully along the rocky trail.  Now that he was alone and it was quiet his mind was busy rehashing everything Stannis had told him.  Stannis had been hurt.  He was afraid of exposure.  He was afraid of being rejected and judged by his peers.  All of that was understandable and most likely the reason Stannis had kept to himself all these years.  But, it was what Stannis _hadn_ _’t_ said that made Davos’ blood race and his palms sweat with excitement.  Stannis hadn’t told him to leave.  Stannis hadn’t said that he didn’t want him.  Davos knew now that he had a shot with Stannis ─ he just had to convince Stannis.  He leaned back into the mound of hay and closed his eyes for just a moment.  He tried to let his mind go blank so that he could concentrate on what he wanted to say to Stannis.

 

“Davos.”

 

He must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew, Stannis was standing over him saying his name.

 

“Shit, Stannis,” Davos found himself leaning back against a pile of hay but when he sat up too quickly it was if a knife had sliced into his ribcage.  He hissed a sharp intake of breath and cursed softly.  “Sorry, I guess I dozed off.  The horses needed hay, so I climbed up.”

 

“I found your shirt at the foot of the ladder and figured as much,” Stannis explained, tossing the damp garment at his feet.

 

Stannis’ face was half hidden in shadow but Davos felt his eyes studying him, roaming over his body almost nervously.  The expression on his face made Davos shiver ─ goosebumps prickling his flesh, but not from the cold.  Stannis had never once looked at him this way before ─ the way he’d looked at Stannis.  Davos was afraid to move and break the spell.

 

“You’d better go inside.  Let me finish up here.” 

 

Stannis’ voice sounded strained and Davos knew then that he had kept his distance from Stannis long enough.  He wanted ─ no, he _needed_ more, and he suspected that Stannis needed more too, whether he would admit it or not.  Maybe the key to persuading Stannis didn’t have anything to do with choosing the right words.

 

Davos reached for Stannis’ hand and pulled himself gingerly to his feet, but didn’t release his fingers even after he was upright.  They stood facing each other and Davos moved slowly, treating Stannis as he would a skittish colt experiencing the bridle for the first time. Davos brought Stannis’ hand close to his chest and tugged off the soggy glove, letting it drop to the floor.   One by one he began massaging Stannis’ fingers, starting at the knuckle and kneading slowly down to the tip.

 

“You’ll lose feeling, keeping those wet gloves on for so long.  Your fingertips are all wrinkled,” Davos scolded softly, studying Stannis for signs of discomfort. 

 

Stannis continued to stare at him, transfixed, but didn’t pull his hand away.  Instead of anxious, Stannis seemed more curious ─ eager even ─ to see what Davos had in mind.  Davos could hear Stannis’ breathing accelerate in the stillness of the barn, isolated from the noises of the animals below as if the surrounding hay absorbed everything except the sounds made by the two of them.  Emboldened, Davos placed Stannis’ palm on his chest, directly over his heart which was pounding like the hooves of a horse in full gallop.  Stannis gasped softly at the contact of his cool hand against Davos’ warm skin.

 

“Jesus, Davos,” he whispered, quickly followed by, “fucking hell.” 

 

Then, at long last Stannis broke.  He kissed Davos hard on the mouth.  It was a brutal kiss ─ more like a freight train crashing into a car stalled on the tracks ─ teeth and tongues and noses colliding.  Davos’ jaw was still tender from his beating but the pain only served to intensify the sweet sensation of Stannis’ lips and skin moving against his own.  Stannis obviously had little experience at this and the thought of it forced a surge of heat to Davos’ groin.  Impatient with lust, and fear that Stannis might change his mind, Davos pushed Stannis away once, then twice, repositioning his face as his fingers fumbled frantically with Stannis’ wet jeans, trying to pull them down while Stannis continued to assail his mouth.  Stannis hands found Davos’ ass, squeezing him through his jeans and pulling him close.  Davos could feel Stannis’ hard length every time his body pressed against him, but his wet clothing maddeningly continued to thwart all attempts to remove it.

 

“You need to lay still.  Let me do this,” Davos growled, shoving Stannis down onto the bed of hay. 

 

Even in the dim light, Davos could see that Stannis’ pupils were enormous; his face dark red with lust, and Davos’ cock throbbed urgently at the sight of him splayed out before him.  He let his eyes linger on Stannis, savoring the moment before dropping to his knees beside him.  Ignoring the pain from his bruised ribs, Davos yanked off Stannis’ boots and peeled his jeans down his legs.  He could see Stannis clenching and unclenching his fists in an effort to keep himself from trying to help.  At last Davos could see Stannis’ erection prominently displayed through the thin fabric of his shorts.  Davos wet his lips, salivating at the thought of taking him into his mouth but Stannis had other ideas.

 

The moment his jeans were off, Stannis didn’t hesitate, pushing Davos onto his back and wrestling his jeans down to his thighs.  Then, Stannis threw himself on top of Davos, ravenously devouring his mouth while his hand plunged inside Davos’ underwear and wrapped around his aching cock.

 

“Not so fast, goddamn it!” Davos gasped, tearing his lips away when Stannis’ grip tightened and he began stroking him roughly.

 

“I want you now,” Stannis hissed, his jaw clenching.  He wedged a knee between Davos’ thighs nudging them apart.  Davos could tell from the desperation in his eyes that Stannis wasn’t going to last much longer.  But with his jeans still half on he wasn’t capable of spreading his legs far enough to accommodate Stannis.

 

“Get off,” Davos ordered, patting Stannis’ thigh and producing a wild-eyed stare of disbelief.  “Let me move,” he added.  Stannis leaned back on his knees and Davos quickly turned over, positioning himself on hands and knees so that Stannis could take him from behind.

 

“Fuck me!” he demanded.  He’d never wanted anything more in his life; he only hoped that Stannis knew enough to spit in his hand first. 

 

He was prepared for Stannis to be inexperienced and rough, and Davos anticipated that there might be a fair amount of pain at first.  However, nothing could have possibly prepared him for the sudden and singularly erotic sensation of Stannis’ tongue rimming him.

 

“Oh Christ!” Davos exclaimed as hot, wet, saliva bathed his perineum.  His hand instantly grabbed the base of his cock and squeezed hard to keep himself from coming.  Stannis gave him a few exploratory licks and Davos shuddered, biting his lip to stifle a groan.  He couldn’t even allow himself to think about what Stannis was doing to him, the need for release becoming painfully urgent.

 

“Stannis,” Davos gasped, “Jesus ─ do it now!” 

 

As much as he was enjoying Stannis’ attentions Davos was desperate for what he had fantasized about for months ─ he wanted Stannis inside him or he would surely lose his mind.  Thankfully, Stannis was all too ready to oblige and after coating his hand with spit he pushed hard into Davos with a guttural moan of pleasure.

 

Davos closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, momentarily overwhelmed by the burning pressure and the glorious sensation of fullness that came with it.  Fortunately, Stannis was better at fucking than he’d imagined.  After a few tentative attempts, followed by a string of expletives from Stannis, he settled into a rhythm of shallow thrusts that left both men breathless and the loft went quiet save for the slap of skin on skin and the occasional gasp of pleasure.  Davos didn’t touch himself, knowing that he would come in an instant and instead concentrated on keeping his arms taut so that Stannis didn’t knock him face first into the hay as he ploughed into him.  Too soon the movement of Stannis’ hips began to stutter and Davos knew that he was close.  When Stannis fingers dug painfully into the flesh of Davos’ hips and he froze, Davos’ hand shot to his swollen cock and he came with a strangled cry, a fog of darkness clouding his vision as his orgasm pulsed through his body.

 

When it was over, Davos’ arms were shaking and they gave way as Stannis collapsed against his back, his full weight pressing him down into the cushioning bed of straw.  He quickly rolled to his side, to avoid being pinned, Stannis’ long limbs wrapping around him as he lay behind him.  Davos could feel Stannis’ chest heaving against his back as his labored breathing began to slow.

 

“We should get back to work,” Stannis murmured against the back of his neck, fatigue already causing his words to slur.

 

Davos mumbled something incoherent as he drifted off, his skin still tingling pleasantly.

 

~~~

 

When Stannis awoke it was still dark but the storm must have passed because moonlight filtered in through the slats in the barn.  He turned his head to the sound of Davos snoring softly.  He looked so peaceful in the pale light that Stannis hated to wake him.  The feeling of contentment he’d had when he’d first opened his eyes was replaced by a lead brick in the pit of his stomach.  They had to leave this place and get back to the house before anyone discovered them.  Whatever peace they’d found in each other’s arms had come at a cost.  Stannis only hoped it would be worth the heartache and regret that each of them would experience in the days to come.  Gazing at the relaxed expression on Davos’ face, Stannis admitted that for himself, it was definitely worth it, just to feel that good for an hour or two.  He couldn’t speak for Davos.  Davos was sure to want more now ─ more than Stannis was able to give.  He’d given too much already.

 

“Davos,” Stannis touched Davos’ shoulder, fighting the urge to wake him with a kiss.  “Get up.  We need to go.”

 

Davos stirred, a growl of protest escaping from this mouth before he opened his eyes and turned to stare at Stannis.

 

“Is it dawn yet?” he asked, stifling a yawn.

 

“Almost.  We have to get back.”

 

Sitting up, Davos winced then began brushing the hay off of his legs.  “Damn I need a shower.  I’ve got straw sticking to me in places where it shouldn’t be.  Next time let’s do this in a bed.”

 

Stannis didn’t respond but began to dress in silence, dusting off the hay clinging to his wet jeans and tapping a few stray pieces out of his boots.  

 

“Davos, what happened last night was mostly my fault.  I let things get out of hand,” he began to explain softly.  Stannis saw the questioning look in Davos’ eyes as he continued.  “I shouldn’t have lost control like that.”

 

Davos’ lips curled into a smile that quickly gave way to a grin. “Jesus, Stannis.  I wanted it.  I have for a long time now.” 

 

The smile faded and he held Stannis’ level gaze. 

 

“I know now why you’ve never let anyone close.  You’ve been hurt and you’re scared of being hurt again.  I won’t let that happen this time.  That’s a promise.  We’ll be careful.”

 

Stannis tried to keep his voice calm.  He didn’t want to do this ─ to hurt Davos again.  For fuck’s sake, Davos was the only person in this whole shitty world that he cared about.  But, it was for Davos’ sake that he had to be the strong one.

 

“This can’t happen again, Davos.  We both know that.  We got carried away but we can’t take a chance like this again.  It has to end here.”

 

Davos turned away from Stannis as if he’d been struck.  He ran one hand through his hair and Stannis could see him struggling to compose himself.  Finally, he choked out a reply. 

 

“End?  We’ve only just started to figure things out.  How can you say that?”

 

“Last night─”

 

‘If you say what we did was a mistake I swear to God I’ll kick your ass!” Davos snapped, his eyes bright with anger.

 

Stannis hesitated.  What could he say to Davos?  That the most satisfying night of his life ─ both physically and emotionally ─ had been a mistake?  He’d given more of himself to Davos than he’d ever given to anyone.  No ─ not a mistake ─ but an isolated incident that could never be repeated.

 

“It wasn’t a mistake, Davos.” Stannis said carefully. “It was better than anything I’ve ever had before or could ever hope to have with anyone.”

 

At that Davos’ anger seemed to cool a little and he sounded hopeful again. 

 

“I know you’re scared.  Hell, so am I after the beating I took.  Listen, I’ve been thinking about it.  We could leave here.  We could move some place where nobody knows us ─ the West Coast ─ a big city.”

 

“And do what exactly?  Do you want to sit behind a desk every day for the rest of your life?  Because I sure as hell don’t.  This is the only life either of us have ever known ─ under the open sky, working for ourselves ─ not trapped punching a clock in some office in L.A. and going home to some shithole apartment.”

 

“We can make it work.  Maybe we stay here, and to hell with what everyone else thinks.  Maybe eventually people will stop being such narrow-minded bigots, or at least they’ll keep quiet about their opinions.”

 

“There will never be a future for us, Davos!”  Stannis tried to keep his voice low so it wouldn’t carry in the pre-dawn silence but he couldn’t keep it from breaking.  “Not in this country.  Not in this lifetime.  Last night changes nothing!”

 

“Last night changes everything!” Davos shouted, his words thankfully deadened by the hay that surrounded them.  “I’m not giving up on you, Stannis.  Not now ─ not ever.”

 

“Then you’re─”

 

“─a fool?  Tell me something I don’t know.”  Davos didn’t bother to button his shirt, nearly shoving Stannis out of the way as he brushed past him.

 

“I’ll tell _you_ something though.” Davos paused at the top of the ladder.  “The way I see it, _you_ _’re_ the bigger fool for letting something your asshole brother did years ago continue to ruin your life.  He’s dead, Stannis.  The past is dead.  Let it go.”


	6. Chapter 6

 

The warm water felt good on Davos’ skin after the sticky humidity and dust from the barn.  Showering gave him time to cool down and think about what had happened with Stannis over the last few hours.  While he was still angry about Stannis’ response, he couldn’t ignore the tingling sensation that still inflamed every nerve ending in his body when he thought about their intimate encounter in the hay loft.  Though he was certain he’d never been in love before, he suspected that this was the real thing.  He suspected Stannis felt the same.  He’d been shocked by the passion that Stannis had revealed the previous night.  He and Stannis had been good together as friends and now he knew they could be even better as lovers.  Now he just had to convince Stannis not to throw it all away.  Surely Stannis wasn’t that eager to return to a solitary life of abstinence.  Davos was betting he wasn’t and vowed to try and persuade him using any means necessary.

 

By the time he’d finished washing up, Davos was feeling a bit more optimistic.  His mind was focused on the immediate goal of diving into bed for a few hours rest when he emerged from the bathroom wrapped only in a towel and ran straight into Stannis.

 

Davos didn’t miss Stannis’ downward glance as his gaze traveled over his body and quickly back to his face.  The heat in Stannis’ eyes made Davos’ cock twitch with interest despite the urgent need for sleep.  Stannis was still wearing his damp clothing and the grime from the previous day’s work and was in obvious need of a shower himself.  Davos refused to step back in the narrow hall, sensing that Stannis was struggling not to acknowledge his own arousal.  He wasn’t about to play fair, given what was at stake.

 

“I’m finished in there if you want to take a turn.  I’m going to bed,” he lowered his voice and spoke so that he couldn’t be overheard, “You’re welcome to join me after you wash up.”

 

Stannis’ face reddened and his jaw clenched.  It took a moment for him to regain his composure but he finally answered in a hoarse whisper.  “Cut it out.  This isn’t a game, Davos.”

 

“I’m not playing games.  The offer was genuine.  If you change your mind you know where I’ll be.”

 

Davos attempted to move past him but Stannis grabbed his wrist.  “You don’t have time to sleep.  The sun’s up and there’s work to be done.  I meant what I said yesterday.  You aren’t here as a guest.  You’ll earn your keep.”

 

Davos experienced a momentary flash of anger at odds with his lust for Stannis, until he realized that was what Stannis wanted.  Stannis wanted to distract him ─ to distract himself.  Stannis was using work as a means of keeping the demons at bay.  If they kept themselves busy and around others, they wouldn’t give into temptation again.  The last thing in the world Stannis wanted was to be alone with him.  Davos offered Stannis a weak smile. 

 

“Yes, Mr. Baratheon.  Of course, I’ll need to put on some clothes first,” he replied shortly.

 

Stannis searched his face as if looking for signs that he was going to argue with him.  Satisfied that he wasn’t, he nodded curtly. 

 

“I’ll see you at breakfast then.  Cressen will provide you with a list of duties.”

 

Davos nodded and retreated to the bedroom to change as Stannis headed off to shower.  He might be exhausted but he would play by Stannis’ rules ─ for now.

 

~~~

 

Davos was exhausted by the time he headed back to the barn with the rest of the men, but it was a good exhausted that came after a day of hard but satisfying work.  They’d been sent to rescue some cattle that had been stranded on a patch of high ground by rising flood waters caused by last night’s storm.  He and the others had ridden out after breakfast.  However, Stannis had not come with them. 

 

They’d found the cattle, about a dozen head, five miles east of the stock pond.  The swirling waters had formed a small island.  The cattle were afraid to enter the water and swim to safety.  They could have waited for the water to recede on its own, but with another storm forecast for later that night, Cressen was worried that they could be struck by lightning or spooked and injured as a result.

 

Davos had enjoyed riding alongside the other ranch hands.  At first, he’d endured a few curious questions about the bruises on his face and how he knew Stannis.  He’d answered them as vaguely as he could but that seemed to satisfy the others and they accepted him quickly enough, eager to listen to his tales of life on the rodeo circuit.  In turn, he’d slipped in a few questions of his own, about Stannis and his brothers, trying to see if these men knew anything about Stannis’ past.  He didn’t learn much more than he knew already, except that Stannis never got on well with his brothers and as a boss he was tough but fair.

 

They’d had to drive the cattle through the water to safety, tying some off and pulling them with ropes.  It had been difficult work but they’d managed to get all of them through without injury.  Davos had impressed the men with his roping skills and his willingness to work hard.  Maybe it was because of the competitive nature of the rodeo, or the transience of the friendships, but by the end of the day Davos felt that he’d bonded with these ranch hands, more than he ever had with the other cowboys at the rodeo, aside from Stannis. 

 

The ride back was more relaxed and the men joked easily with each other as they drove the cattle in front of them.  After a mile or so, Davos let his horse slow so he was at the rear of the column.  He wanted to be alone for a while so that he could think.  He figured that Stannis had purposefully avoided him today.  As he saw it, Stannis avoiding him could be both good and bad.  It was good because it meant that Stannis didn’t trust himself around Davos and that thought made Davos struggle to keep from grinning like a fool in front of the others.  It was bad because it meant that Davos was going to have a difficult time getting Stannis alone so that they could talk.  As they rode to within sight of the barn, Davos had made up his mind.  He would find Stannis as soon as he put Black Betha up and stick to him like glue until he managed to get him alone.  At that moment he looked up to see Stannis climb into his dually pickup and drive off in the opposite direction and his heart sank. 

 

“Damn it, Stannis,” Davos muttered under his breath.  Why did everything have to be so fucking difficult?


	7. Chapter 7

 

The sun was setting over the mountains when Stannis pulled his truck close to the creek at the end of the crude trail.  He lowered the tailgate and began to unload the feed and hay he’d hauled out to this desolate part of the ranch.  He’d managed to avoid Davos for most of the day.  After breakfast, Cressen had sent Davos out with some of the other hands to rescue a dozen head of stranded cattle.  Stannis had remained at the barn, assisting a crew with some necessary repairs.  Just as he spotted Davos returning with the other men, Stannis had loaded the truck and headed out.   If only he could avoid Davos for another day, it would be for the best.  He intended to leave after that, and although Davos didn’t know it yet, he intended for Davos to remain at the ranch.  Stannis would return to the rodeo and Davos would stay here where he would be safe from any violence from Nate and the others.  Stannis figured they wouldn’t bother him since he kept to himself anyway.  That was the plan, if only Davos would cooperate.

 

Stannis was startled from his contemplation by the sound of a truck driving through the underbrush.  He hadn’t heard it over the noise of the rushing creek until it was right behind him.

 

“Damn it, Davos,” Stannis hissed under his breath, instantly recognizing the bearded figure that emerged from the pickup after it had come to a stop behind his own. 

 

His initial irritation begrudgingly gave way to admiration for the man’s resourcefulness at finding him.  But then, as Davos approached, Stannis heard alarm bells issuing a warning inside his head and all other emotions gave way to mild panic.  They should not be alone.  This wasn’t part of the plan.  They should not be alone simply because Stannis no longer trusted his ability to remain physically unaffected by Davos.  His doubts were confirmed by his suddenly sweaty palms, dry mouth and the image of his fingers digging into Davos’ naked flesh refusing to fade from his memory.

 

“What the fuck are you doing out here?” Stannis snapped.

 

“I could ask you the same thing,” Davos replied.  “I saw you leave.  Cressen told me where he thought you were headed and I borrowed a truck and followed.”

 

“Cressen needs to mind his own business,” Stannis grumbled.

 

Davos moved closer but Stannis turned away and continued working, spreading the feed and hay around with a shovel.  “Did he also tell you about the horses?”

 

“No.”

 

Davos stepped closer again and Stannis could feel his eyes on his back.

 

“Storm’s End backs up to a few thousand acres of public lands.  There are a couple of herds of wild mustangs that still run loose on them.  They come down to the creek to drink.  I’ve been leaving food for them here for years and making sure that someone at the ranch does when I’m not around.  They’d starve otherwise.”

 

“You and your damned horses,” Davos replied, but there was no rebuke in his tone, only warmth.  “Did you ever try trusting in a person the way you do a horse?  Not everyone will hurt you, Stannis.”

 

Stannis didn’t respond, although Davos’ words had stirred a hornet’s nest of guilt and anger he’d long kept in check.  He tossed the shovel aside and started toward the truck to retrieve another bale of hay, Davos close on his heels.   He’d almost reached the pickup when Davos grabbed his arm from behind forcing him to turn around.  The next moment he found himself in Davos’ arms, the words of protest dying on his lips as Davos covered them with his own.  Stannis’ resolve to avoid further intimacy evaporated along with his anger and he closed his eyes, relaxing with a sigh against Davos’ mouth and allowing him free rein with his tongue.  The frustration of the day faded from his thoughts as they kissed and Stannis unexpectedly found a rare sense of security within Davos’ strong embrace.  Their movements were less rushed but no less passionate than the previous night, taking time to savor each touch, taste and breath that passed between them.  Davos pulled Stannis’ hips flush against his own, denim grinding against denim as he kissed him deeply.

 

“I’ve been waiting for this all day,” Davos whispered at last, breathless.

 

Davos’ beard tickled the skin of Stannis neck as he nuzzled at the spot just beneath his ear and Stannis felt his jeans becoming uncomfortably tight as his groin continued to press firmly against Davos’ thigh.

 

“We should go back,” Stannis murmured weakly, his voice husky with arousal.

 

“No.” Davos countered, his hands clutching Stannis’ ass.  Stannis could clearly feel Davos’ erection rubbing against his own through the fabric of their jeans and a soft moan escaped his lips.  “Why don’t you stop running and let me take care of you for once?”

 

“Davos─”

 

Stannis’ argument was forgotten as Davos pushed him into a sitting position on the lowered tailgate of his truck and slowly sank to his knees in front of him.

 

“Relax,” Davos instructed softly, his fingers caressing the bulge in Stannis’ jeans.

 

“With you doing that?”  Stannis made a sound somewhere between a snort and a moan, reflexively spreading his legs wider.

 

Davos grinned and pulled Stannis slightly closer to the edge.  He slowly unbuttoned his fly, fumbling with his shortened fingers, while Stannis watched, licking his lips as his cock thickened painfully in anticipation.

 

At last Davos freed his erection, gripping it with his good hand while he caressed Stannis’ thigh with the other.  Stannis gasped as the cool air kissed the places that Davos’ warm hand didn’t cover.  The combination of hot and cold was maddeningly erotic. 

 

Davos lowered his face to Stannis’ lap, his hot breath caressing the tip as Davos gave his cock a tantalizing squeeze.

 

“Fuck,” Stannis moaned, leaning back on his hands and closing his eyes.  “Davos, please─”

 

“Please what?” Davos teased, shifting his grip and licking a path along the underside of Stannis’ swollen shaft from base to tip.  That action brought Stannis’ hips off the truck as he desperately sought the pleasure of Davos’ mouth.

 

“Suck me, god damit!” Stannis demanded.   He shifted forward, reaching with one hand for Davos’ head but Davos quickly leaned back, letting go of Stannis in the process.

 

“Ah-ah, that’s against the rules,” Davos admonished, batting Stannis’ hand away.  “Hands off.  This is about trust.”

 

Stannis gaped at him, wild-eyed and Davos chuckled.  “Okay, this is also about me giving you the best blowjob of your life.  Same rules apply.”

 

Davos quickly resumed his original position and corralled Stannis’ bobbing member.  He made eye contact with Stannis as he sheathed the darkened head and as much of the shaft as possible in his mouth.

 

Stannis’ eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head and he shut them tightly, biting his lip to stifle a moan.  After last night he’d never dreamed it was possible for anything else to feel that good.  His heart was pounding so forcefully that he was certain that sex with Davos would be the end of him, and he didn’t care.

 

Stannis’ fingers clenched against cold metal and he fought to keep his hips still as Davos’ tongue swirled around his glans and raked across the slit as his hand rhythmically milked his shaft with short rough strokes. 

 

“Davos─!” Stannis’ throat tightened, cutting short his warning as the pressure forced his release before he could stop it from surging from his sac up the length of his shaft.  Davos pulled his mouth off, his hand continuing to stroke him firmly through his climax until his skin felt hot and raw, nerve endings firing in an explosion of pleasure and pain.

 

Stannis groaned, the arms that had supported his weight for so long now turned to jelly.  He collapsed back onto the truck, one forearm covering his eyes as his breath came in heavy gasps.  He lay there limply trying to recover, vaguely aware after a few minutes of Davos tucking him back into his boxers and pulling up his jeans.  As his breathing returned to normal, Stannis felt Davos climb into the truck to lie beside him, wrapping him in his embrace and nuzzling his face beneath Stannis’ chin.  Davos was warm and solid and his regular breathing soon had Stannis starting to drift off, despite the discomfort of the ribbed cold metal truck poking at his back.  He forced himself to stay awake, however, keenly aware of the insistent pressure of Davos’ erection against his thigh.  Stannis reached down and began to stroke him through his jeans causing Davos to groan softly against his neck.

 

“Now it’s my turn,” Stannis whispered.

 

He was surprised when Davos pushed his hand away and sat up.

 

“In a minute.  Come here,” Davos threaded his fingers between Stannis’ and pulled him to his feet. He led him to the cab of Davos’ pickup and left him standing by the door while he leaned inside and fumbled with the key.

 

“I’ll show you what I really want to do,” Davos explained, switching the radio on and twisting the dial until Stannis heard the strains of an old bluesy Patsy Cline tune over the shallow hum of static.

 

“You’ll run down the battery,” Stannis insisted, eyes widening in fear of what he guessed was about to happen.

 

“Dance with me,” Davos demanded, spreading his arms wide.

 

Stannis’ mouth opened and closed mutely, stunned by the disarmingly sweet and sappy grin on Davos’ face.

 

“I don’t dance.  I don’t know how,” he argued, knowing it was useless.  After what Davos had just done for him he couldn’t deny him the one thing he wanted ─ even more than sex.

 

“It’s slow dancing.  You don’t need to know how.  Just do what comes natural.”

 

Stannis stepped into Davos’ embrace, his hands instinctively folding around Davos’ waist.  He wasn’t sure if anything would come natural but he had to try.  Davos’ hands moved to Stannis’ hips.  He rested his head on Stannis’ shoulder while he held Stannis close, his hands guiding him in a slow swaying motion in time to the music.

 

After a few awkward moments, Stannis decided that it wasn’t so bad.  Davos felt good wrapped around him, his breath warm against his neck.  He could feel Davos’ heart beating against his chest and he relaxed, letting Davos move him from side to side.  Soon, Davos lifted his head and Stannis could hear him humming the song against his ear.  Stannis listened to the lyrics as Patsy Cline crooned the sad melody.

 

_Worry, why do I let myself worry?_

_Wondering what in the world did I do?_

_Crazy for thinking that my love could hold you_

_I'm crazy for trying and crazy for crying_

_And I'm crazy for loving you._

 

Stannis remembered their argument in the truck a few days ago when Davos had asked him what he’d done wrong.  He wondered if Davos was thinking the same thing.  Stannis felt a knot form in his gut, thinking of the pain he must have caused Davos.

 

“I love that song,” Davos murmured as it ended. “I’ve always dreamed of dancing like that with someone─” 

 

He pressed his forehead against Stannis’ and stopped moving.  Stannis heard Davos take a deep breath and let it out slowly.  He left the rest of it unsaid, hanging heavy in the silence that stretched between them, but Stannis knew as he’d always known.  Stannis kissed him then, with more tenderness than before, slowly and thoroughly as if they had all the time in the world.  Davos held him close, his fingers splayed against the back of his neck.

 

After a few minutes, Stannis pulled away to catch his breath and felt Davos shiver against him.

 

“It’s getting cold.  Let’s get you inside.” 

 

Stannis opened the door and Davos climbed into the front seat.  The two men were tall but with Davos leaning with his back pushed against the passenger side door, he was able to bend his legs and stretch out across the seat.  Stannis climbed in and lay partially on top of Davos, their lips connecting once more.  Continuing where they left off in Stannis’ truck, Stannis’ hand quickly breached Davos’ jeans and found him hard and ready. 

 

A few quick strokes had Davos moaning into Stannis’ mouth, his hips bucking against him urgently.  Stannis didn’t want to end it too soon.  He wanted to give as good as Davos had and so he teased him a little, releasing his grip on Davos’ cock and lowering his hand to rake his nails across the soft sac below, which produced a shudder of pleasure from his partner.

 

It didn’t take much after that, Stannis twisting his grip around Davos’ rigid shaft and jerking him steadily until he cried out against Stannis’ neck, his teeth sinking into his collarbone as he lost all semblance of control, his body spasming in Stannis’ fist.

 

Stannis held Davos against his chest for several minutes until his breathing slowed.  Finally, Davos lifted his head and grinned up at Stannis, his face still flushed from exertion.

 

“Okay, I suppose that was a little better than slow dancing.”

 

Stannis’ lips twitched as he fought to suppress a smile.  “Good.  I thought you were getting soft on me for a minute.”

 

“Not a chance,” Davos countered.  “I can still kick your ass any day.”

 

Stannis snorted and shook his head, obviously unimpressed by Davos’ bravado.

 

“We really have to get back before Cressen sends a search party.”

 

Davos frowned and sighed, sitting up.  He zipped up his jeans and then smiled at Stannis.  “I meant what I said in the barn.  We could head west and not stop until we reach the coast.  Hell, we could stop and have sex at all the national landmarks along the way ─ screw our way across country─ like in ‘Easy Rider.’”

 

Stannis scowled.  “I told you that isn’t an option.”

 

“The move or the sex part?”

 

“Both,” Stannis snapped, causing the smile to fall from Davos’ face.  “It isn’t a good thing that we can’t seem to keep our hands off of each other.  This is bound to end badly, Davos.”  Stannis climbed out of the truck and stood by the door.  “Do you remember the ending of ‘Easy Rider’?”

 

Davos slid behind the wheel and nodded, biting his lip as Stannis returned to his own truck.  Stannis closed the tailgate while thinking of the final scene where Captain America was blown off his motorcycle by a shotgun blast from a pickup truck.  He was killed by a redneck simply because he was different.  That could be either of them if anyone found out.  Nothing had changed just because Davos wanted it ─ hell, _he_ wanted it too.  It didn’t make a damned bit of difference.  He’d told Davos the truth.  This was bound to end badly, and it had to end.


	8. Chapter 8

 

Davos awoke to the sound of the chow bell clanging shortly after dawn.  He swore under his breath and rubbed his eyes wondering how in the hell he had slept through this racket the past two mornings.  This morning he vowed to make it to breakfast without Stannis coming to fetch him.  Although, he smiled to himself imagining scenarios where he might catch Stannis alone before the work day started.  _Stop that right now._   His inner voice, which sounded way too much like Stannis, scolded.  He needed to give Stannis time to come to grips with their relationship ─ such as it was.  He didn’t want to push him too hard, but he also wanted to coax him into accepting the fact that they were together now ─ in Davos’ eyes anyway.  They would have to be careful if they were going remain on the rodeo circuit, but Davos didn’t intend to let Stannis push him away anymore.  Davos was cautiously optimistic despite Stannis’ negativity.  Stannis was always negative.  That’s just how he was.  If Stannis had a smile on his face, Davos knew something was probably wrong.  Davos just had to make Stannis feel a little less ─ well ─ paranoid.   And that might be easier said than done.

 

At least they could talk about their plans at breakfast.  Davos imagined that Stannis was getting anxious to get back to bull riding.  Davos, on the other hand, had to admit that he was adjusting nicely to life on the ranch after his initial misgivings.  Even though the work was hard, there was far less potential for injury than his occupation as rodeo clown.  Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but Davos felt like he belonged here.  It was almost as if he’d found a home at Storm’s End. 

 

By the time he’d washed up and made it to breakfast, most of the men were eating at the long table in the kitchen, or grabbing coffee and biscuits to take with them out on the job.  Davos was disappointed, but not surprised to find Stannis missing from the group.  Stannis was an early riser and it made sense that he might have headed out before the others.  It wasn’t until later that morning, after asking a few of the other hands if they’d seen Stannis and getting a series of negative replies; that a dull ache began to reside in his chest.  It was a feeling he remembered from long ago when his mama had gone out one night and in the morning her bed hadn’t been slept in, and then when he’d gotten off the school bus the next afternoon and saw the police car parked in front of his apartment building, the dull ache had grown into the sharp grinding pain of a drill bit hollowing out his chest.  It was the same sensation he felt when Cressen found him in the barn around noon and asked him to come back to the main house so they could speak in private.  Something was very wrong.

 

The walk across the gravel drive and up to the house was the longest of Davos’ life.

 

“Just tell me that he’s okay,” Davos blurted out as soon as Cressen had closed the door to the study.

 

The older man’s bushy grey brows knitted in confusion a moment and then his face softened.  “I don’t know where he went.  He doesn’t confide in me the way he used to as a boy.  But Stannis can take care of himself.”

 

Davos let out a long breath.  Nothing had happened to him.  It stood to reason that he must have decided to go back to the rodeo.  Cressen’s smile was sympathetic.  Davos figured that if he didn’t already know the truth about he and Stannis, after the way Davos was acting he surely would suspect it now.  Cressen didn’t betray any sign of disapproval though and got right to business.  He crossed the room to where a massive oak desk sat beneath a painting of a raven-haired man with intense blue eyes eerily reminiscent of Stannis’.  Cressen followed Davos’ gaze to the painting.

 

“Steffon Baratheon was Stannis’ father.  He was killed in an automobile accident along with Stannis’ mother when Stannis was ten.”

 

“He told me,” Davos nodded, staring at the painting.

 

“Did he?” Cressen raised an eyebrow.  “He doesn’t usually talk about them.  You must be a good friend for him to confide in you.” 

 

When Davos didn’t answer, Cressen reached for a sheet of legal paper on the desk. 

 

“The reason I asked to speak with you is that Stannis wanted to offer you a position of permanent employment here at Storm’s End.  You’re a hard worker and I think you’d fit in nicely here as one of the foremen.  If you accept, I’ll need your signature.  Look this over,” he instructed, handing Davos the contract.  “It lists your starting salary and benefits.  Of course, room and board is also included.”

 

Davos stared at the document in his hand and began to read.  When he came to the figure listing his yearly wages, his eyes widened in surprise.  It was over twice as much as he made as a seasonal rodeo clown and part-time ranch hand.  He shook his head and handed the contract back to Cressen.

 

“That is a very generous offer, Mr. Cressen   I’m honored that you want me here, but I have to get back to the rodeo.”  He met the other man’s steady gaze.  “I may be crazy, but as long as Stannis wants to keep riding bulls, I consider it my job to look out for him in the ring.  If I leave now, I can probably catch up to him in Bixby tonight.”

 

Cressen frowned.  “I believe that you’ve misunderstood, Mr. Seaworth.  When I said I didn’t know where Stannis went, I wasn’t being entirely clear.  I _do_ know that he did not return to the rodeo.  Stannis explicitly stated that you were not to look for him there because you won’t find him.  In fact, he told me to use any means necessary to persuade you to remain here.”

 

The hollow sensation settled once more within Davos’ chest.  He’d been prepared to argue with Stannis ─ to work tirelessly to persuade him.  He had vowed never to give up on him.  He wasn’t prepared for Stannis to just disappear without a word.  He should have been angry, but he couldn’t find it in him to be angry with someone who loved him enough to leave.  He knew then that Stannis had loved him ─ did love him.  Stannis wanted him to be safe, and the only way he thought that he could protect him was to stay far away from him.  Davos was certain that Stannis wouldn’t allow himself to be found.  Stannis was gone and so was any chance of changing his mind.  Instead of being angry, Davos was left empty and alone.

 

“I need some time to think about it,” Davos replied, suddenly aware that Cressen was studying his face.  He turned abruptly and walked from the room finding his legs slightly unsteady as he struggled to maintain his composure.

 

“Take as much time as you need,” Cressen called after him.

 

Davos took off walking as fast as he could away from the house, following the crude cattle trail toward the stock pond past the barn.  He wanted to be alone to think.  Stannis had left him and there was nothing he could do about that.  He was going to hurt ─ worse than when Nate pounded him in the alley, and there was nothing he could do about that either accept give it time.  But Stannis had also left him with a choice.  He could go back to his old life at the rodeo.  He could risk a beating and a few whispers behind his back.  Or he could start a new life here at Storm’s End.  The choice was his to make.

 

Three hours later after walking over the rough terrain until he was limping, Davos found himself back at the barn standing in front of Fury’s stall.  He grabbed a handful of feed from a nearby bin and held it in his palm.  Fury sniffed it skeptically before taking a mouthful and chewing noisily.

 

“I guess he does this to you all the time,” Davos remarked, patting the horse’s neck.

 

Fury snorted and shook his head as if in sympathy, earning a chuckle from Davos.  Suddenly, Davos felt a firm hand on his shoulder.  He turned to find Cressen standing behind him.

 

“He’ll come back to Storm’s End someday, Davos,” the old man said softly.  “He always does.”

 

 

The End. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the ending to my fic. There will be an epilogue though. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it! While I wanted to be true to the original story, (spoilers if you haven't read it) I could not kill one of my fav characters. I think there is enough killing in GoT that I don't need to add to it in fanfic. I did feel it necessary to leave a little angst at the end though. Thanks to all of you for reading and commenting!


	9. Chapter 9

Epilogue

 

Davos watched the sun setting over the mountains.  He couldn’t believe that it had been a year since he had stood with Stannis on this very spot.  He tossed a bale of hay on the ground and spread it around with a shovel for the horses.  After Stannis had gone, Davos had taken it upon himself to feed the wild mustangs that came down from the mountain to drink at the creek at the far end of Storm’s End.  It only seemed fitting that Davos take over for Stannis until he came back.  Davos was certain that Stannis would come back, eventually.  Until then, Davos came here twice a week to spread out the hay and feed.  Sometimes when he was feeling especially lonesome and nostalgic, he would turn on the radio and listen for that Patsy Cline tune and think about making love to Stannis in the front seat of the pickup.  He refrained from such sentimentality tonight, lest it drag him into a melancholy mood.

 

Davos had been relatively happy since he’d accepted a position at the ranch.  He loved his job ─ loved his home. Davos finally felt as if he belonged somewhere.   Everything would have been perfect if Stannis had been here.  Without Stannis there would always be a hole in his heart that could not be filled with anything else.  Without Stannis he would always be empty.

 

Davos turned at the sound of a truck pulling in behind his.  He watched as Cressen climbed stiffly from the cab and strode in his direction.  He and the old man had become close.  Perhaps it was because of their mutual understanding of Stannis, a man that few understood.  Cressen was smiling as he approached.

 

“I thought I’d find you here,” the older man said, admiring the sunset over Davos’ shoulder.

 

“I think he’d want me to do this,” Davos explained as Cressen nodded in understanding.

 

“I think so too,” Cressen replied.  He reached into his pocket and handed Davos a letter.  “This came for you today.”

 

Davos felt his heart skip a beat.  There was only one reason that Cressen would have driven all the way out here to deliver his mail.  Davos looked and the writing and recognized that it was from Stannis.  Suddenly he was unable to focus his vision because of the water in his eyes.

 

“I thought you might want to read it in private,” Cressen said, placing his hand on Davos’ arm.  “No matter what he says, he’ll be home soon.  I’m certain of it.”  He gave Davos’ arm a squeeze and returned slowly to his truck.  He drove off, leaving Davos alone.

 

The postmark read Lubbock, Texas.

 

_Dear Davos,_

 

_Don_  ' _t bother coming here because I_  ' _m on my way to Mexico.  I_  ' _ve been having some luck with the bulls lately and have made enough money to extend my travels.  I know this won_  ' _t please you ─ I hope it won_  ' _t please you.  I shouldn_  ' _t expect you to wait for me and still it_  ' _s all I can think about sometimes.  I_ _’_ _m writing because I_ _’_ _ve spoken to Cressen and he_ _’_ _s told me that you_ _’_ _ve accepted the job and are doing well at Storm_ _’_ _s End._ _I am happy for you, Davos, and I wish you the best.  I want you to move on with your life and yet I_ _’_ _m selfish enough to think that you might miss me._ _I don’_ _t know when I_ _’_ _ll_ _come home again but until then, I wish you nothing but the best.  Please take care of yourself, Davos, and though I have no right to ask ─ don_ _’_ _t give up on me._

 

_Stannis_

 

Davos grinned, blinking away tears.  He wondered if Stannis had indulged in a whiskey or two before he worked up the nerve to send this.  No matter, he’d sent it.  He’d said it.   _Don_ _’_ _t give up on me._  Although he knew he was a fool ─ he wouldn’t ─ not ever.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a response to a prompt from an anon on Tumblr requesting a Brokeback Mountain Stavos AU. I got slightly carried away and it turned into a longer fic than I had intended. I am envisioning a younger Stannis and Davos in this. I'm setting it in the mid-1970s rather than the fifties. It evokes BBM but does not follow the plot. Stannis would be Ennis and Davos would be Jack in case it isn't obvious. I hope you enjoy reading!
> 
> As always a big thank you to [Vana](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Vana/works) for reading along as I wrote this and encouraging me. Also for the beta!


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